Endless Summer 2015

Welcome to my Endless Summer 2015 Wrap-Up! Why is it “endless”? Because it seems like every series I watched for the season ended in the middle of nowhere! *dies*

My most-anticipated series of the summer was Gangsta. I love the manga, I love the drama CDs, and I loved the shit out of the first episode. I loved all the episodes! Even that weird one that the art is kinda screwy for half of it and you’re wondering if the animators went on strike or something (then I read about the bankruptcy of Manglobe and wondered if the two were related). From the very beginning, I knew that it would have to end “incompletely” if it followed the manga closely…but I didn’t expect quite the sudden non-ending-feeling of episode 12. However, for all my bitching about the non-ending, the art was great (overall, forget that one episode) and the acting was great and seeing Worick and Nicholas animated was wonderful. I’m having a hard time letting go.

I’m also resisting the end of The Heroic Legend of Arslan. Daryun kept getting more amazing This show kept getting better as it went, I felt, with more intrigue and plot and characters. I was really looking forward to seeing Arslan take on Silver Mask and reclaim the capital and—well, it doesn’t matter, because apparently the series doesn’t go that far. But I loved it anyway.

GATE was the first new summer show I watched based solely on scheduling reasons. Suwabe-san’s voice sucked me in and the premise made me stay. It felt a lot like Outbreak Company at first but I enjoyed the art and the “military conundrum” aspect of GATE a bit more, I think. Or maybe I’m just shallow and like to ogle animated men in uniform. Episode 12 is titled “What Would Itami Do?” and I bitterly think, “We may never know because…it’s over!” I’d like to think Itami would come back for a second season!

Aoharu x Machinegun was another of my “anticipated shows.” It met my expectations by being cute, funny, crazy, and having hot well-drawn guys that were a pleasant surprise. I’m always on board if the show has a host character or a eromanga character and hey, this show had both! Throw in that girl-everyone-thinks-is-a-guy a la Ouran High School Host Club and you can’t lose. Except we never actually get to the part where the guys find out she’s a girl… But hey, I’d probably watch it again anyway.

Rokka -Braves of the Six Flowers- I was really excited about this anime…up until halfway through the first episode when it got bogged down with dialogue. Still, when we started meeting other characters I thought it could really bounce back but it never did for me. I didn’t care what happened to any of them. There seemed to be so much potential but the show itself fell short. The “reveal” was…validating? except that anyone who’s watched enough Scooby Doo could probably see it coming.

Monster Musume I don’t really know why I watched this–let alone twelve episodes of it. But I did and I might’ve actually enjoyed it more than Rokka.

Junjo Romantica I’m not gonna lie, my rotten friend and I were too excited for season three. “It is what it is”–and I say that with love. Three seasons in we still have major miscommunication, denial, and misunderstanding between beautiful boys in love. What more do you people want?! Well, if you’re like me, you want another season or OVA with the story of that dark-haired guy you always see around Ijuin-sensei. But that aside, Usagi was hilarious, Misaki was neurotic, and everything is right in the BL world.

Prison School ended up being one of my favorite shows of the season. I almost didn’t watch it because that girl’s huge boobs were a turnoff but I am soooo glad I did. Pretty sure I laughed til I cried every episode. Also, contrary to most of the summer shows, the last episode felt satisfying to me, like we’d actually reached a reasonable “end.” Typing this writeup is hard, though, because I keep thinking of different scenes and just start shaking my head. Prison School definitely gets my “Fucking Hilarious” endorsement.

Man, I love Durarara!!. All it takes is two seconds into the opening theme and I fall in love all over again. Every damn episode. It’s so twisted and complicated and strung out and strung together I almost have a little headache from watching it but it’s so good. Thank goodness for the blip at the end telling me Chapter Three is coming in January before I threw my computer across the room in frustration. Now instead of being furious I’m just…full of Durarara happiness and patiently waiting for January…

MY love STORY!! This was adorable. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that I love the manga and about died from happiness when the anime started. It never disappointed, staying adorable and funny all the way through. The final episode was appropriate and satisfying. I totally recommend this one.